By means of a nasty cyberattack, Eric Reeves’ three Sudan-related websites became unusable to all who visited his Facebook page on February 21, 2014. He believes the Khartoum (Sudan) regime is responsible. Many Facebook visitors subsequently going to his Sudan sites immediately found innumerable and highly aggressive “pop-up” ads. Nothing could be accessed, by Reeves or by his Facebook “friends,” mainly Sudanese from both Sudan and South Sudan. They had received as a “message” pornographic videography (purportedly including Reeves) containing potent malware; the message was also sent to his family members. Other visitors experienced various difficulties and anomalies in later accessing their own Facebook page; other consequences may as yet be undiscovered.

• The humanitarian situation in Darfur is getting worse. The WFP (World Food Program) can’t reach the needy in IDP camps nor those who are stranded in the valleys and mountains due to the latest attacks by Government of Sudan (GoS) armed forces and GoS militias, called Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the successors to the infamous Janjaweed.

• The GoS continues fresh aerial bombings in East Jebel Marra, Central Darfur while blocking aid and access by international NGOs.

• The SPLA-N has defeated RSF in Deluka locality, near Kadugli, in the latest clashes in Nuba Mountains.

• Terrorism grows in Africa, supported by the GoS and Qatar, the major suppliers to terrorist groups in North and West Africa including Boko Haram, now spreading from Nigeria into Cameroon and Chad.

• The GoS and Qatar also are sending new arms shipments to Libya’s ISIL.

• The apparent sanctions easing by the U.S. is viewed suspiciously by many Sudanese in the opposition.

• Do you remember that two GoS representatives who were recently in Washington, D.C.? One came for the National Prayer Breakfast and the other for consultations with some of our government officials. Both are architects of persecution and genocide in Sudan.

“Black Lives Matter,” but it seems the U.S. government has higher priorities than saving Black African lives!

02/03/15 – The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, Director for Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA), has returned from ten days in South Sudan. Before leaving Juba, Nelson spoke with officials at the United States Embassy and appealed for their intervention in returning two South Sudanese pastors, Rev. Yat Michael and Rev. Peter Yen, who had been arrested in Khartoum without warrant or charge. Nelson appealed for the pastors to be returned to their families, congregations, and communities.

“I went to South Sudan on a missionary experience and ended on a mission of mercy,” said Nelson. “It is important that we prevent the intimidation and possible loss of life among Church leaders and others who are expressing the gospel’s call for love in a militarized and war-torn part of the world.”

The U.S. Embassy in South Sudan was not aware of arrest and promised to investigate the matter with the U.S. Embassy in Sudan.

While in South Sudan, Nelson investigated ways the Office of Public Witness can enhance efforts for more effective justice advocacy by engaging partner churches and organizations, mission co-workers and other personnel. Human Rights Watch estimates that since the South Sudan leadership crisis ignited December 15, 2013, up to 10,000 have died, one million have been displaced and 400,000 have fled to neighboring countries.

South Sudan’s warring leaders have reached a new agreement aimed at ending the country’s civil war. After watching ceasefire after ceasefire fail, regional leaders are warning of tougher sanctions this time around.

Following four days of tough negotiations, the east African bloc IGAD confirmed early Monday morning that progress had been made toward ending South Sudan’s 13-month civil war.

IGAD’s chief mediator, Seyoum Mesfin, said that the two leaders of the warring factions – South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his former deputy-turned rebel leader Riek Machar – had signed a new ceasefire.

“Complete cessation of hostilities in South Sudan is expected as of [Monday morning]“, Mesfin told reporters in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

Kiir and Machar had also reached a partial power-sharing agreement, the details of which were not immediately made public.

The opponents are to resume talks on February 20, which “would be final and that would lead them into concluding a comprehensive agreement to end the crisis in South Sudan,” Mesfin added.

Fighting broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, after Kiir accused his then-deputy Machar of attempting a coup. Tens of thousands of people have died in the fighting, which has been interrupted several times by brief ceasefires.

In light of the two sides’ inability to uphold previous promises to halt fighting, Mesfin said that South Sudan would face “tough measures” with the help of the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council if Kiir and Mechar failed again.

CAIRO (01/26/2015) — An appeals court, on Monday, handed down what officials said was Egypt’s first criminal conviction for the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), sentencing a doctor to more than two years of hard labor for committing manslaughter while performing the procedure on a 13-year-old girl.

FGM was outlawed in Egypt in 2008, but remains widespread and widely accepted. More than 90 percent of Egyptian females between the ages of 15 and 49 have been subjected to the procedure, according to UNICEF.

The victim, Suhair el-Batea, a girl from a small village in the Nile Delta, died after being subjected to the procedure in June 2013.

At a trial last year, her doctor, Raslan Fadl, told a lower court that he had only treated her for warts and that she had died of an allergic reaction.

Her father, whom prosecutors accuse of ordering the procedure, declined to press charges and backed up the physician’s account. Last November, the lower court acquitted the doctor.

On Monday, however, an appeals court overturned that ruling. The court sentenced Dr. Fadl to two years in prison for manslaughter and three months for committing FGM. Ms. Batea’s father was given a suspended sentence of three months.

Vivian Fouad, an official of the state-run National Population Council, said in an interview that her organization and others had persuaded prosecutors to appeal the acquittal because of the apparent collusion between the doctor and the family, both of whom sought to settle the case.

Ms. Fouad said her organization had trained more than 300 prosecutors to “understand the scientific, medical, historical and cultural context” of the practice, stressing that it constitutes an act of violence against women and has no basis in religion or Islam.

This letter, written by the Coalition of Advocates for South Sudan (CASS) and signed by 38 groups and 51 individuals, was delivered to the White House. The letter urges President Barack Obama to ask former President George W. Bush to meet with South Sudan’s leaders immediately to discuss a way forward:

January 20, 2015

Dear Mr. President:

We the undersigned South Sudanese, South Sudanese Americans, and friends of South Sudan write regarding a matter of extreme urgency.

As the second year of conflict in South Sudan begins, we note that the current IGAD-sponsored efforts to bring peace have been ineffective, thus we greatly fear an escalation and an expansion of violence as all sides are well armed and demonstrate a commitment to a military rather than a political solution despite their talk of peace.

The United States has a special relationship with South Sudan. Americans have welcomed Lost Boys and Girls, refugees, and asylum seekers into their homes and lives. Many have become citizens of our nation. For decades, U.S. tax dollars have provided desperately needed humanitarian aid to war affected populations in Sudan and now South Sudan. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the war between Sudan and the SPLM/A exists, in large part, because the United States decided to partner with Norway and Britain to revive failing peace talks – a decision that was backed by the U.S. public, Congress, and in particular, the Congressional Black Caucus and Evangelical Christians. And, it was former President George W. Bush who was the first American president to engage personally with the late Dr. John Garang, the former Chairman of the SPLM/A, in order to achieve peace.

Because of this long history together and because of the ongoing support your Administration has provided in upholding South Sudan’s right to self-determination and the countless resources that the US has invested in building the capacity of the leaders and citizens of this brand new country, we believe the United States has tremendous and perhaps even untapped influence over South Sudan’s decision makers. For example, we believe, given his special historical role, that former President Bush could help accelerate a peace process that would ultimately save the precious lives of our family and friends.

Additionally, achieving peace in South Sudan, an important ally, would be consistent with your efforts to prevent the collapse of the country and the resulting spread of radical Islam into central Africa.

We, therefore, respectfully urge you to ask former President George W. Bush to meet with South Sudan’s leaders immediately to discuss a way forward. Thank you for considering our perhaps unusual request given the politics of the day; however, we believe that peace in South Sudan and peace on earth require a commitment by all leaders to prioritize humanity before politics.

Sincerely,

Gideon Abraham, Denver, CO USA

Rev. Amos Ademola Aderonmu, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria

African Soul, American Heart, Debra Dawson, President, Fargo, ND USA

Hamid Eltgani Ali, Cairo, Egypt

American Friends of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan, Richard Parkins, Executive Director, Washington, DC USA

Pray for the church as a whole, that they would work together to resolve this issue

Pray that God would use these situations for the glory of His kingdom

Police forces entered the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Bahri November 17-18, destroying the church’s north wall. They took possession of the property, including a pastor’s home. Thirty-eight Christians have been arrested for refusing to surrender the church property to the Sudanese authorities. One court has issued a ruling that each person will be fined 100 Sudanese Pounds. The church is in a discussion about paying the fines. Wisdom is telling them that they should not pay as this will be received as an admission of guilt and the case will have no further hearing.

SSWEN Staff and women leaders from across the three regions of South Sudan are traveling for an exchange visit to Rwanda.This will serve to bring together diverse organizations working in the fields of human rights and gender to build upon collective experience, through capacity building, and knowledge sharing from Rwanda. The project will aim to develop strong partnerships with the various governance structures; will spread advocacy trainings and materials, engage in capacity building of women leaders and representatives from 10 states, along with engagement and partnership with media to create awareness.#fundsfromUNDEF

SSWEN staff and the South Sudan women leaders that traveled to Rwanda for the exchange visit met with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, they also met with the Commissioner of Gender Monitoring Office, the Director of National Women Council of the Republic of Rwanda and the Rwanda police Anti-GBV and Child Protection Directorate.

Listen to three minutes and eight seconds of hope! Dance to lyrics of peace and reconciliation! Believe in one tribe: South Sudan. Artist is Chol Matuekz Ajing. Follow the link to video:http://youtu.be/hp4K2g2uk20

Song writers, photographers and others are spreading the message of reconciliation and unity in South Sudan. South Sudanese around the world are invited to compose a song as a message for peace, paint a picture of a united South Sudan, share a poem or a short story. Upload your songs, photos, videos, poetry and short stories here: http://mytribeissouthsudan.org